


Coffee Shops, Hot Chocolate, and Scarves

by Dark_Angel23



Series: 25 Days of Christmas- Prompt Challenge [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coffee, F/F, First Meetings, Getting Back Together, Getting Together, Hot Chocolate, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:15:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27858953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Angel23/pseuds/Dark_Angel23
Summary: 25 day Christmas Prompt Challenge- Day 3Hot Chocolate.“It’s so warm here!” The child exclaimed happily. A girl, judging by the pitch of the voice.“It sure is, sweetheart.”
Relationships: Gwen/Morgana (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: 25 Days of Christmas- Prompt Challenge [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2039365
Comments: 2
Kudos: 69





	Coffee Shops, Hot Chocolate, and Scarves

**Day 3- Hot chocolate**

Merlin sighed, resting his head against the cool of the countertop. The coffee shop had been extremely busy since that morning, and Merlin hadn’t had a minute of break since his shift had started five hours ago.

The crowd had thinned a bit now, as snow had started falling again and most of the people had now rushed back into the warmth of their homes. There were only three days until Christmas, and there was a huge chance it would be a muddy one if it didn’t snow again.

“Long day?” A female voice came from his right. He looked up to see Gwen, his coworker, restocking the pastries.

“You have no idea.” Merlin replied. Gwen chuckled. There was silence between them for a few minutes, until Gwen spoke again, merely to fill it. “Any plans for Christmas?”

Merlin sighed wearily, running a hand through his raven locks. “No. My mother is coming for Christmas, and we had planned to go for a picnic, or a walk at least, but now it isn’t possible in this weather.” Gwen nodded, and lapsed into silence again. Merlin rested his head against the countertop again.

…. And looked up once more when the bell rang, signifying that someone had entered the shop. There were three figures, two adults and a small child, all three bundled in layers of scarves and coats.

“It’s so warm here!” The child exclaimed happily. A girl, judging by the pitch of the voice.

“It sure is, sweetheart.” One of the older figures said, unwrapping the scarf that was wound around her neck. A woman, with her black hair which cascaded down her back. The other figure followed, revealing a head of blonde locks. Maybe husband and wife?

The small girl grunted, struggling to pull her scarf off her head. “Dad! Help me!” She whined.

The blonde chuckled and moved to help, but the woman was quicker. 

She sighed, and deftly unwound the scarf from the girl’s head. A mop of fluffy chestnut hair bounced out. “There you go, Elena.”

She grinned at her. “Thank you, aunt Morgana!” She exclaimed. Merlin couldn’t help but grin. Her enthusiasm was infectious.

Beside him, he heard Gwen gasp. He turned his head towards her, and was surprised at the shocked expression on her face.

The three newcomers also looked over to them. Looked like he wasn’t the only one whose attention she had grasped.

Merlin watched in amusement as a blush crept up Gwen’s neck. “Sorry,” She mumbled.

The trio made their way over to them, the girl padding over in the front. They reached the counter, and after appraising Gwen for a minute, the woman’s face split in a grin. “Gwen! Fancy seeing you here!” She greeted. Merlin raised an eyebrow at his coworker. She knew the woman?

Gwen kept her gaze resolutely forward, refusing to meet his gaze. “Hello Morgana,” She greeted, with a nervous smile.

The woman, Morgana, laughed. “No need to be so nervous, Gwen. I won’t bite.”

“That’s debatable.” The blond guy spoke up for the first time. The girl, who was his daughter apparently, giggled.

“Oh shut it, you.” Morgana reproached them sharply, but there was a hint of amusement and fondness in her voice. She turned back to Gwen. “Are you free? Let’s have a coffee together, for old times sake.”

Gwen nodded, tension visibly leaving her shoulders. “My shift ends in a few minutes. Do you still drink hazelnut lattes with too much whipped cream?”

Morgana grinned. “You remember me so well. I’ll be sitting there, at the corner table.” She walked away. Gwen left too, to make the coffees.

Merlin turned back towards the father and daughter, a smile still playing on his lips. He didn’t know how Gwen knew Morgana, but he was glad that Gwen seemed happy.

The man looked up at him, and Merlin’s breath left his body.

It was the most gorgeous man he had ever seen. With the shiny blonde hair and lagoon- blue eyes, he was already extremely attractive, but the high cheekbones and pink lips just added to it. Merlin barely managed not to stare.

“Can I have a hot chocolate?” The girl piped up.

“Sure you can, pumpkin,” The man said, grinning, and ruffled her hair.

“One hot chocolate and one coffee, black with 3 sugars. For Arthur Pendragon.”

Merlin nodded, and jotted it down. “Your order will be ready in ten minutes, most.”

****

Merlin couldn’t get him out of his mind for the whole day. He managed to placate himself with the thought that he had no proof that he liked men, the fact that he had a daughter just reinforced it. But the excuse got harder and harder to believe as Arthur kept visiting their coffee shop again and again over the next few months. Sometimes with his daughter, sometimes without. Merlin saw Morgana quite often, as her and Gwen started dating (Again, as Gwen told her that they were together during college), but even Arthur visited at least once a week.

That is, until one day when he handed him the money for his coffee, looking quite nervous. As Merlin moved to keep it in the cash register, a piece of paper fell out.

_‘Will you go on a date with me?’_


End file.
